Lexapro instructions

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Active Ingredients: escitalopram oxalate

Common Brand Name Lexapro

The following product information is not intended to replace the physician's or manufacturer's instructions.

Lexapro common medical uses:
Lexapro is an anti-depressant prescription medication from the family of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs. This medication is used for the treatment of major depressive disorder and for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Lexapro helps to restore the brain's chemical balance by increasing the supply of a substance in the brain called serotonin. Lexapro appears to relieve depression by increasing serotonin without affecting many of the other chemicals in the brain that influence mood. This medication may sometimes be prescribed for other uses.

How to use Lexapro:
To get the best results, it is important to follow all of your healthcare provider's instructions about how and when you should take Lexapro. Lexapro comes as a tablet and a liquid taken by mouth. Simple 10 mg/day starting dose for all patients. Lexapro should be taken once every day. It may be taken with or without food, in the morning or evening. Like many patients, you may begin to feel relief from your symptoms, such as depressed mood or anxiety, after taking Lexapro for just 1 or 2 weeks, but most people receive full benefits in 4 to 6 weeks. It is important to take the medication as long as your doctor advises, even if you start feeling better, otherwise your depression could return or worsen. Full recovery takes time. Do not stop taking escitalopram without talking to your doctor.

Lexapro side effects:
Lexapro is well tolerated by most people. Because Lexapro appears to relieve depression by increasing serotonin levels with minimal effect on many of the other chemicals in the brain, it may cause relatively few and mild side effects, which generally tend to go away with continued treatment and they usually do not cause patients to stop taking Lexapro. The most frequent side effects reported with Lexapro are:

• nausea
• insomnia
• problems with ejaculation
• somnolence
• increased sweating
• fatigue
• decreased insomnia
• anorgasmia

Lexapro precautions:
Do not take Lexapro if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) during the last 2 weeks. A dangerous drug interaction can occur if Lexapro is combined with any of these medications. Avoid alcohol while taking Lexapro, because alcohol may increase drowsiness and dizziness while taking Lexapro or affect your condition. Tell your doctor if you have an allergy to escitalopram or have had an allergy or other adverse effects during therapy with other SSRIs (Celexa, Luvox, Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft). Tell your doctor what prescription and nonprescription medicatios you are taking or have taken within the last 2 weeks, especially ketoconazole (Nizoril), sumatriptan (Imitrex), warfarin (Coumadin), cimetidine (Tagamet), carbamazepine (Tegretol), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), desipramine (Norpramin). Tell your doctor if you have mania, a history of seizures, or impaired cognitive/motor performance, liver or kidney problems. Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities, as Lexapro may cause dizziness. Do not take Lexapro without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment or if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Drug interations:
The best way to avoid harmful interactions is to tell your doctor what medications you are currently taking. Do not take Lexapro if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) during the last 2 weeks. A dangerous drug interaction can occur when escitalopram is combined with any of these medications.
Before taking Lexapro, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medications:

• another antidepressant (citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil))
• tricyclic antidepressant (amitriptyline (Elavil), imipramine (Tofranil), doxepin (Sinequan), nortriptyline (Pamelor))
• seizure medication including carbamazepine (Tegretol), felbamate (Felbatol)
• stomach medicine (cimetidine (Tagamet, Tagamet HB), ranitidine (Zantac, Zantac 75), omeprazole (Prilosec))
• antibiotic (erythromycin (Eryc-Tab, E-Mycin, E.E.S., Erythrocin, P.C.E.), clarithromycin (Biaxin))
• antifungal medication (fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral))
• migraine medication (almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), sumatriptan (Imitrex), zolmitriptan (Zomig))
• asthma medication zafirlukast (Accolate)
• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid, Lithonate, Lithotabs).

Overdose:
If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately.

Missed dose:
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

Storage:
Keep out of the reach of children. Store away from heat and direct light. Do not store the capsule or tablet form of this medicine in the bathroom, near the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause the medicine to break down. Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out of the reach of children.

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